NARCISSISM IN POSTMODERN SOCIETY AND SCHOOLS: THE INFLUENCE OF NEOLIBERAL VALUES ON THE BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

This article examines narcissism as a cultural and educational problem in late-modern societies, arguing that neoliberal values—competition, performativity, and market-like evaluations shape children’s and adolescents’ self-understanding and behavior. Drawing on cultural and psychosocial perspectives (Lasch, Fromm, Twenge and Campbell, Verhaeghe, and Vesna V. Godina), the paper conceptualizes narcissism less as an individual pathology and more as a socially produced pattern of relating to oneself and others. Schools are approached as microcosms where broader cultural imperatives become daily practices through grading, comparison, and status competition, which may intensify external validation seeking and reduce empathic engagement. Two divergent student responses are highlighted: grandiose self-presentation, often linked to aggression under ego threat, and egoistic withdrawal, characterized by self-suppression and fear of standing out. The article concludes by outlining educational strategies that strengthen community, dialogue, and social-emotional learning as protective factors against narcissistic dynamics.